Treating railway crossings as photo spots can lead to dangerous, possibly fatal, accidents, Korail says

A video released by the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) earlier this month captures the unsafe behavior of travelers at railway crossings.

Posted on Korail’s official YouTube channel, the video — filmed as part of inspections at major railway crossings — shows multiple potentially dangerous activities by people, such as crossing tracks despite alarms signaling an incoming train and engaging in a photo shoot.

“I expected cars to cross the railroad, but I didn’t expect pedestrians to do the same,” a Korail representative said in the video.

In one instance captured in the video, a couple takes wedding photos on the tracks at the Baekbin crossing in Yongsan District, central Seoul, which has been featured in movies.

“Taking photos on the tracks is extremely dangerous,” a Korail representative said. 

“[The tracks at Baekbin crossing] have become a tourist spot, with many foreign tourists stopping by since it has been featured in dramas and films a few times,” the representative added. “Foreign visitors in particular may not realize that they should not take photos on the tracks. I’m concerned there may be an increase in the number of accidents.”

Korail representatives stated that they have witnessed similar behavior repeatedly at multiple sites. 

“Tens of people still force their way across [tracks] every day, even when warning alarms sound and the barriers come down [for an incoming train],” a traffic control worker said. “There are many people who cross despite being stopped. Sometimes [their behavior] startles me.”

“I worry a train might hit them. If a train were to hit someone, it would be either a fatal or very serious accident,” the worker continued.

A total of 41 railway crossing accidents were recorded in Korea over the past five years, most caused by split-second misjudgments within about 10 seconds, according to Korail.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]